RUSSIA
Why do Russian junket tourists choose Minsk?
CI’s new contributor Diana Kenchadze answers the questions we’re all asking about Russia – and tells us about Russian Gaming Week
T
oday’s gambling industry in Belarus, particularly in Minsk, is booming. After the closure of casinos in Russia more and more new casinos are being built in Minsk. And the existing ones are actively working to
improve the quality of their services and infrastructure. This attracts a huge number of gamblers to the capital of Belarus from other countries. Junket tourism today is a very promising and
interesting pastime that involves traveling around the country to participate in gambling with a good chance of winning! So it is not surprising that the ban on gambling didn’t result in the loss of interest of the gambling audience, but on the contrary, it has spawned a new product offering to the gamblers in junket tourism market.
for wealthy clients has a lot of great advantages. Its main attraction is that the organizer bears some of the costs associated with the trip
The new type of tourism
The new type of tourism for wealthy clients has a lot of great advantages. Its main attraction is that the organizer bears some of the costs associated with the trip in return for the client’s compliance with the terms of the agreement. Typically, the gamblers are provided with a variety of free services: accommodation, meals, airfare, transfers, sightseeing tours, and more. The junket tourists on their part are obliged to purchase chips of a pre- agreed worth and then play at the casino according to the terms of the agreement. The most popular junket destinations are Las
Vegas, Monte Carlo, Montreux, Baden-Baden, Macao, etc. As for Russian tourists who want to play openly and legally, the favorite destination is Belarus. Indeed, there’s no point in flying to faraway places when there is a state-of-the-art gambling hub with developed infrastructure and a wide range of product offerings in the junket market, close by.
12 JULY/AUGUST 2013 The list of casinos in Minsk that specialize in
arranging their own junket tours includes Shangri La Casino, XO Casino, Dankoff Club Casino, Victoria Casino, White Tower Casino, Mirage Casino. The rapid growth and new opportunities in this
market are evidenced by the fact that for the first time the International gambling and entertainment exhibition Russian Gaming Week chose Minsk as venue this year. In addition, junket tourism will be the main topic of the professional conference that will be held as part of the exhibition. Domestic and foreign market experts will discuss a number of important issues:
• Main junket tourism destinations. • Insight into the CIS market: Who are the main customers for junket operators? • What to offer to players? • How to compete with other junket destinations? • Does the junket tourism need to be regulated by the state?
It is expected that the RGW 2013 exhibition to be held on 27-28 November will be visited by a large number of operators from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. The exhibitors will showcase the entire range of gaming products for the CIS market and abroad, the latest equipment for land-based and online casinos, gaming machines, equipment for lotteries, betting, bingo, poker, management systems, jackpot system, affiliate programs and much more. RGW 2013 in Minsk is poised to become one of the most popular events in the gambling market of the CIS countries. It will bring together the owners and managers of major casinos, online casinos, bookmakers, poker rooms, lottery organizers, managers of dealing centers, affiliate program owners, social and mobile app developers, gambling equipment suppliers, representatives of IT, insurance and investment companies, representatives of professional associations and unions as well as gambling zones and government agencies.
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